OBE for 'Obi-Wan' McGregor

Star Wars star Ewan McGregor has been awarded an OBE in the New Year Honours list. Singer Kate Bush has been awarded a CBE. Director of the Olympic opening ceremony, Danny Boyle, is believed to have turned down the offer of a knighthood.

Quentin Blake stands alongside a selection of his illustrations in 2009. Credit: PA

Illustrator Quentin Blake, who has delighted generations with his work, particularly the images he created for many of Roald Dahl's books, has received a knighthood.

The artist, who has also published many books in his own right, said today that many of his overseas fans assume mistakenly that he is already a Sir.

"The funny thing is that my books are published a lot in France and Germany and I get a lot of letters from people there who think I have got it already, so I suppose this kind of regularises it," he said.

Artist Tracey Emin, whose journey from controversy to respectability has been marked with a CBE, said receiving the honour felt like being "pushed in at the deep end".

The 49-year-old, who grew up in Margate, Kent, is perhaps best known for her work My Bed, which featured an unmade bed littered with condoms, cigarette packets and a pair of knickers.

Asked about her award of the CBE, she said: "I think they pushed me in at the deep end. But I'm absolutely thrilled. It's been insane trying to keep it a secret but I'm really looking forward to seeing the look on my mum's face.

"For me this honour is a symbol of how art can change people's perception of life and view the world in a different way."